


Missing Eye

by skidblast



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, MECH
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-22
Updated: 2014-09-22
Packaged: 2018-02-18 10:16:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2344736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skidblast/pseuds/skidblast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Transformers: Prime AU where it is Knock Out who ends up as MECH's experimental subject.</p>
<p>A fanfic rewrite of a <a href="http://herzspalter.tumblr.com/post/93054422835/an-anon-once-asked-me-what-wouldve-happened-if">comic by herzspalter</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Comic: What would’ve happened if Knockout had died instead of Breakdown?](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/74621) by herzspalter. 



It was quiet inside of Nemesis' laboratory. It wasn't like that Knock Out liked it to be quiet in general, but right now he felt like he needed that. Captured and tortured and dissected by humans, and even while he hadn't said anything of value those humans learned too much about Cybertronian biology. 

Even for that Knock Out felt that the worst insult in all of this had been his rescue. First it had been Bumblebee, the mute yellow muscle car, who pulled the earth look better than him though he never openly admitted it, who had rescued him. And before Prime would have taken him capture it had been Starscream who had saved him, and told Knock Out in not so many words that Megatron hadn't even cared about Knock Out's well being and he had done it on his own initiative. And Starscream was never the one to care for others, so Knock Out knew that Starscream expected him to repay the favor later on, to choose Starscream over Megatron when the time came. At least Starscream's need for secrecy allowed Knock Out to to spin a tale of heroics of his escape, and no one needed to know that the Autobots had been the first one to save him.

Knock Out brushed out all the thoughts about the rescue and all the consequences of it and focused on what was on his display right now. His right optic was gone, the first thing those humans had ripped out of him. While the pain receptors had been cut off, it hadn't done anything about the feel of pressure and the sickening release of pressure. Knock Out had known the moment it happened that this was permanent damage. And even then the eye hadn't been used for study, it had been used for the sole reason to be a trap for his would-be rescuers. All the interial damage those humans had done was something Knock Out could fix, but the only thing he couldn't fix was the permanent scar on his face, a constant reminder that humans were ignorant, ruthless and savage, even if they were able to make snazzy looking four wheelers.

As he was gathering the tools for the series of surgeries he needed to go through, he heard the doors to his lab opening. It was tempting to just yell at whomever that came in to just leave him alone, but when there was a chance it was Megatron who had entered the risk of drawing his ire was too great, so he turned around.

And immediately turned his back on Breakdown. While he needed his eventual help for the surgery, he still didn't want Breakdown to see him as he was now. "I'm busy." Knock Out spat out, a bit harsher than he had intended to be.

"Yeah, but you're going to need some of that buffed out, right?" Breakdown answered as if nothing was wrong, like if Knock Out had just gotten few dents in a scuffle with the Autobots.

"A rotary buffer can't fix everything." Knock Out answered, knowing Breakdown well enough that he wouldn't leave when he asked him to. Breakdown knew him a bit too well. "Get me the hydrospanner." He finally said, accepting that Breakdown was not leaving, so it was better to actually give him something to do.

Eventually Knock Out had all the tools gathered, and now he couldn't delay the inevitable. He turned around to face Breakdown, allowing him to see just what had Knock Out so riled up. But Breakdown didn't even react. He just stood there looking slightly bored, waiting for Knock Out to say something. Eventually the silence was a bit too much. "What?" Breakdown said, his tone of voice matching his bored look.

"Be honest with me," Knock Out said, finding it a lot more easier to not look in Breakdown's eyes, probably due to him having one eye now. "It's disgusting, isn't it?"

"What is?" Breakdown said in the same bored tone, seemingly waiting for Knock Out to start talking work.

"Don't play dumb you big oaf! My face of course!" Knock Out yelled. At least the lab was soundproof or else this would have been embarassing for him.

"It really isn't." Breakdown shrugged slightly. "You just got a huge hole in it, that's it." He said. Knock Out frowned, insulted at the apparenty indifference to his permanent injuries. But he knew that Breakdown had been in the field for far longer than Knock Out, and had seen the injuries Decepticons can survive, and a lost optic was probably one of the least of them. Knock Out on the other hand had been working more with Autobot cadavers than some other doctors in the Decepticon ranks, until Starscream had called for him to basically euthanise comatose Megatron. Even though that plan hadn't worked, as happened to most of Starscream's plans, he still hung around, mostly for the earth vehicles.

"Ugh, I knew you'd be useless." Knock Out grimaced. "First thing I'll do when we get back to Cybertron, is getting a new eye." He said. Of course Cybertron would have to be restored fully for that to happen, but with how Megatron was doing it was still going to be a while. But with Soundwave on board, a voice of dissent was never a good idea.

"So you're missing an optic?" Breakdown knew when to feign disinterest and when to be caring. He leaned to Knock Out, comforting him now instead of ignoring the problem. "You're still Knock Out." He said. "And you're still better looking than me."

That was what Knock Out needed. Some normalcy, and the best way to get him out of his funk had been that compliment. Knock Out smirked, unable to avoid making one of his jabs. "Well, that's not that hard to pull off, now is it?" 

"What is that supposed to mean?" Breakdown asked, and his voice carried that little taste of actual anger. But Knock Out could only smile. Despite his injuries, he could still push the right buttons to get the right reactions.


	2. Part 2

In a ship as large as the Nemesis pretty much everything could be found in it. It even had a bar. But that's not where Breakdown was. He was in one of the several training rooms in it, slowly but surely reducing high-density metal bar into pulp. He hadn't been the same after Dreadwing returned without his partner Knock Out. He didn't really have a place on board since he had simply come to Megatron's flagship only because Knock Out had been summoned there. Now he was simply a bruiser, occasionally called out to fight Autobots. He didn't have the skills to manage an energon mine so all he was good for was being the equal of dozen of Eradicons.

After Knock Out's death he had simply withdrawn, destroying training equipment or being on a mission. It had been a while since anyone wanted to train with him. Sometimes Dreadwing came for a spar, but that was on his whim, and it wasn't that often.

As finally rendering the latest punching bag inoperable, Breakdown noticed a Vehicon at the doorway. Without a word he looked up and withdrew his hammer, waiting for whatever the Vechicon wanted to do.

"Sir, you're wanted on the bridge." The Vehicon said.

Breakdown didn't say anything, just walked out and headed to the Bridge. As he arrived there he saw Dreadwing, Megatron, a handful of battle-ready Vehicons and strangely enough Soundwave.

"Lord Megatron." Breakdown said and did a slight bow. "Autobots again?"

"Not quite." Megatron said, nodding slightly towards Soundwave, and Breakdown followed the gesture to him. "Soundwave just noticed Knock Out's signal coming back online."

Breakdown looked dumfounded, looking between Megatron and Soundwave couple of times before finally going over to where Soundwave was to see it for himself.

"It's a bit corrupted, but it is him." Megatron said. "I want you to check it out but you better take care, it might be an Autobot trap."

"Of course, Lord Megatron." Breakdown said, and then left with the Vehicons through a portal Soundwave generated.

The other end of the portal ended at a human military base. Breakdown looked around for any threats, but there were no humans around, in fact there was utter destruction of nearly all machinery. But what eventually drew all of his attention was a building with a Decepticon-sized hole in the wall. Before he could wonder what could have happened Knock Out stepped out of the hole.

Breakdown just stared dumfounded at Knock Out. He was in a sorry state, totally let himself go, dented and rusted and seemed to suffer from at least three other conditions that Breakdown didn't know existed. The eye patch he had made for him was gone, and some sort of artificial sorry excuse for an optic had been placed in its stead.

"Knock Out?" Breakdown asked carefully. Knock Out would never let himself go like that, seeing him like this was enough to make Breakdown doubt what he was seeing.

"Not quite." A wholly unfamiliar voice answered. Breakdown glanced at one of the Vehicons to make sure that he wasn't suffering from some hallucination. But it looked like his companions were as confused as he was. But there was one thing for certain at least. This was not Knock Out. Breakdown frowned as he turned back to that… thing that was in front of him.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"I am Silas." The thing parading in Knock Out's body answered. Breakdown nearly lost control of himself if the Vehicon's hadn't hold him back. Silas didn't react at all from the near-lunge, just stood there. The Vehicons didn't know who Silas was, it was a name Knock Out had only told Megatron and Breakdown.

"Got a lot of nerve showing up like this." Breakdown said. "If you wish to say anything before I beat you into pulp, you better do it now." He brought out his hammer and raised it up.

"I got a way to eradicate the Autobots." Silas said, and Knock Out's body smirked. As Breakdown saw finally something familiar in the body of his old partner he hesitated. He didn't even parse the words until after that. If he were to bring his hammer down the Vehicons would report back to Megatron about the lost possible opportunity to finally be rid of Optimus Prime and his followers.

"We're bridging him to the ship." Breakdown said as he relaxed and his hammer retreated back into his body. "Soundwave, bridge us back." He said on the radio, never taking his eyes off Silas.

Given what was coming back to the ship with Breakdown, the groundbridge opened at a secure room where it was easy to isolate and deal with anything undesirable that would come through the portal. Dreadwing was waiting on the other side, and it looked like he was as surprised as Breakdown had been as he saw Silas coming through.

"What is that?" Dreadwing asked.

"I would have scrapped it, but it said that it had a solution to our Autobot problems." Breakdown said, refusing to refer to Silas by the name he had given him or by Knock Out. He was still trying to work on disconnecting the two from each other, but he was careful enough about what he was saying so he wouldn't slip up. Despite showing no regard for Silas, he still looked self-assured as if nothing was going to happen.

As Breakdown, Dreadwing and Silas entered the bridge, Megatron turned around to see them. At first he seemed glad to see the doctor back, but then he became aware that this was not Knock Out. He saw how Breakdown and Dreadwing were behaving around it, ready to strike on a moment's notice.

"What is this abomination doing on my bridge?" Megatron asked Breakdown, given that it had been his decision to bring it to the Nemesis to begin with.

"I am Cylas. As in "Cybernetic Life Augmented by Symbiosis." The thing now calling itself by a new name answered. "I come with a proposition."

"This is the human who tore Knock Out apart." Breakdown said, bringing out his hammer. "Allow me to hammer some dents in him."

But Megatron extended his hand, a gesture for Breakdown to stand down. "You better have something valuable." Megatron said to Cylas. "Because if you can't deliver on what you've promised, you'll take the express way out of the ship."

Cylas began his pitch, but Breakdown had stopped listening. Megatron seemed to entertain the idea of at least listening to the abomination, thus denying Breakdown his just vengeance against Silas. He had retracted his hammer some time ago and just watched with a bored expression on him. He had never been the one to listen to whatever plans Megatron was doing, he just acted on the orders he got.

As watching Cylas the thing gradually began not to resemble Knock Out anymore. It wasn't because of the sorry state of the body or the unnatural artificial optic it had. It wasn't the voice differences. It was how he acted. Breakdown didn't see any trace of the Knock Out he recognized. He didn't see the mannerism or the ego. Sure, Cylas did have plenty of ego and pride, but it was very different from how Knock Out expressed himself.

When it looked like that Megatron seemed to accept whatever offer Cylas had made, Breakdown stepped out of the bridge, avoiding looking at Cylas. No one stopped him, and no one could really blame him.

"What's his problem?" Cylas asked, but the only answer he got was a low laugh from Megatron, declining to answer Cylas or satisfy his curiosity.

\---------------------------------

Megatron was not happy. Breakdown had wondered if he had done something wrong when he had been summoned on the bridge and seeing Megatron as angry as he was. But the anger was focused on Cylas, who had failed in his mission to eradicate couple of human children. The plan he had presented to get rid of the Autobot once and for all had failed, whatever it had been. Megatron was seething with anger, and Breakdown was impressed by how quickly he could mask that anger once Cylas entered the bridge, escorted by couple of Vehicons.

Cylas did however seem to know that Megatron was not in the best of moods. He walked carefully, making sure that he knew where those Vehicons were. He looked at Breakdown as well, who was not as good as Megatron in hiding his revulsion.

"Cylas." Megatron said. "Project Damocles was the best thing you had to offer me, yet it was stopped by mere human children. And you failed to take them out." 

"Lord Megatron, I do -" 

"I'm not interested in your excuses." Megatron said, and with just a slight gesture the Vehicons and Breakdown stepped forwards, crowding Cylas ever so sligthly. "There is only one thing, one decepticon, that would extend your time on board the ship, increase your survival odds." He smiled as he saw that faint glimmer of hope in Cylas' optics.

"Unfortunately, he never was the same after losing one of his optics and a lot more." Megatron said. "He would have liked to take you apart to know just how you've managed to reverse-engineered our bio-mechanics. But as you probably know by now, he's no longer among us. He was worth a lot more to me than you or your project combined. All you've done is to prove yourself to be a failure."

Megatron turned to Breakdown. "Do with him as you please." Megatron said. On that signal the Vehicons seized Cylas.

"Wait, Lord Megatron, I can still -" Cylas pleaded, but Megatron didn't move. Breakdown just walked towards him.

"You put my partner through a lot of pain." Breakdown said. "I know everything you did to him. All that he said to me and all that he didn't share with me. All of it. He told me what he would do to you when he would eventually have you at his mercy. Unfortunately for him he never got that opportunity. Unfortunately for you I have no interest in torture, I can't even stand the sight of you any longer. Now get out of there. You disgust me." He growled.

With a swift punch of his fist, he smashed the human body parasite inside of Knock Out. One punch was all that it took. After making sure that there was no spark left in the body, Breakdown picked it up.

"Breakdown, I'm curious." Megatron turned around. "What do you intend to do with the body?"

Breakdown almost didn't answer. He hadn't seen it in person, but he knew that Megatron could use the blood of Unicron to revive dead bodies for him to command, and that was what worried him.

"I'm going to make sure no one can use this body again." Breakdown said, hoping not to reveal he was afraid of another human using Knock Out's body, but that he was afraid of the body being turned into a Terrorcon.

"Of course." Megatron said, and allowed Breakdown to leave the bridge.


End file.
